1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to laundry washing appliances, such as laundry washers or combined laundry washers and dryers. The term “laundry” is here intended to include clothes and garments. In particular, the present invention relates to a laundry washing appliance having an auto-dosing dispensing arrangement for the laundry washing treatments liquids (e.g., detergents, softeners and the like).
2. Description of the Related Art
Laundry washing appliances like laundry washers and combined washers and dryers make use of laundry washing treatments products in the laundry washing cycle; such treatments products include for example detergents and softeners.
The laundry washing appliances generally include receptacles for the laundry treatment products, for example in the form of drawers provided in the appliance cabinet, from where, during the laundry washing cycle, the treatment products are taken and dispensed into the washing tub.
In recent years, the trend has been towards using liquid treatments products, instead of powder ones as in past years. However, the solutions for dispensing the laundry treatment products into the washing tub remained essentially unchanged, despite the evolution in the treatment products typologies and composition, and despite the reductions in the water consumption of the laundry washing appliances.
Auto-dosing dispensing of laundry treatment products to be used during a washing cycle is believed to be advantageous in several respects. For example, it would translate into a reduction of time and efforts of the users, which would be levied from the burden of dosing the correct amount of laundry treatment products, and would beneficially reflect on the environment pollution, because wastes would be reduced or eliminated.
Auto-dosing dispensing of the treatment products in liquid form has proved to be far easier compared to powder products. However, known treatment products dispensing systems are not suitable for liquid treatment products.
WO 2008/010671 describes a laundry drier with a steam generator provided with a detachable water container as a water supply source for the steam generator. The detachable water container is mounted at a drawer, and a water supply path is provided for supplying water to the steam generator from the water container, with a pump preferably installed at the water supply path to help the water of the water container be supplied to the steam generator. When the drawer is moving rearward to an inside of the dryer (the drawer is pushed to the steam generator) to supply water to the steam generator, a pin in the outlet of the water container is moved forward against the elasticity of a spring. As a result, a closable part installed at the pin is separated from the front end of an inner path and water is flowed through the aperture, such that the water of the water container is flowed toward the pump through the path.
On the other hand, when the drawer is pulled forward to re-supply the water to the water container or to drain the water from the steam generator, the closable part installed at the pin closes the front end of the inner path because of the restitution of the spring. As a result, the water inside the water container may not flow in the path further.